


C0nsequences

by TeamTired



Series: The 120 Pairing Challenge [11]
Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Ashen Romance | Auspistice, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Death, Dream Bubble, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-11
Updated: 2012-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-09 15:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/456846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamTired/pseuds/TeamTired
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose meets a doomed version of Aradia who's out for blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	C0nsequences

Rose stood before a giant green tablet, her wizarding garb flapping in the wind created by the abuse of her newly found powers. As she admired the green sun depicted on the tablet, she heard a ding coming from her hands-free computer. 

\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT] \-- 

AA: what d0 y0u think y0ure d0ing!  
AA: just st0p  
AA: st0p st0p st0p st0p st0p st0p  
AA: maybe if i say st0p en0ugh s0mething else will happen instead 0f the thing that d0es  
TT: Hi.   
AA: y0u arent g0ing t0 st0p are y0u   
TT: Do you want me to stop using magic too?   
AA: n0 i d0nt care ab0ut that  
AA: its y0ur quest t0 tear y0ur sessi0n apart  
AA: i kn0w its exciting  
AA: breaking stuff  
AA: and n0t w0rrying ab0ut it  
AA: but there are c0nsequences t0 hum0ring y0ur destructive impulses  
AA: and c0nsequences t0 f0ll0wing   
TT: ?   
AA: what they say   
TT: Who?   
AA: y0u kn0w wh0   
TT: You sound frustrated.  
TT: Like you know you can't change my mind.  
TT: I presume your future footage of me has already verified this?  
AA: 0n the c0ntrary r0se i kn0w because ive walked this particular r0ad already  
AA: by which i mean ive already had this c0nversati0n and reaped the ever s0 pleasant reward at the end 0f the rainb0w  
TT: And which rainbow would that be again?   
AA: the 0ne where y0ur acti0ns screw us 0ver s0 m0numentally that i cant remember what its like to be n0rmal anym0re  
AA: y0u d0nt kn0w what it was like r0se  
AA: it was a t0rture s0 perfect that it br0ke me  
AA: i ascended t0 g0d tier t00 y0u kn0w  
AA: but unluckily i was d00med t0 die r0se and die i did  
AA: he killed me eight th0usand f0ur hundred and thirty-six times r0se  
AA: in a r0w  
AA: ribbit  
AA: s0metimes we think that things cant get any w0rse than they are but then they d0  
AA: 0bvi0usly enj0ying each and every 0ne 0f th0se deaths here at least a second time has n0t been my idea 0f a g00d time

Rose was stunned. Something was wrong here, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. Then it all came back to her, the plan, the Scratch, the Green Sun, and last but certainly not least her own death and revival. 

But then who was this? The Aradia that Rose knew was parked squarely at the Green Sun, directing dream bubbles. This must be some different Aradia, from a failed timeline. 

TT: Hang on a moment please, I’d like to speak to you in person. 

Rose stood perfectly still for a minute and concentrated, successfully exchanging her wizarding outfit for her Seer’s garb. Now more comfortable and feeling more in control of the dream, she concentrated again, this time focusing on her whole location. Slowly her land phased out of reality, replaced by the cool dark catacombs that Rose recognized as the center of Derse. At the center was a slab, not unlike the one that Rose had found at the center of her Derse, though this was was red and painted with the gear of the Aspect of Time. 

Through the center of the slab was a troll that Rose recognized as Aradia. Her wings were splayed out on either side of her, and straight through the gear on her chest was Bec Noir’s sword, which was pinning her to the slab. 

Rose carefully and slowly floated towards the slab and looked at Aradia’s closed eyes. When they fluttered open to reveal the dead pure-white eyes of a dead troll, Rose was startled but by no means surprised. When Aradia refused to acknowledge her presence Rose felt compelled to speak up.

“I know you can hear me so I’m just going to start talking.

I don’t really understand what happened to you, and I don’t even know if it was my fault.

If it was I’m deeply sorry, and if it wasn’t then I’m still sorry. It appears that a great many of parallel universes suffered an incalculable amount in order to give the alpha timeline the edge it requires to exist. 

If you would choose to look on the bright side, though I know you don’t feel inclined to right now, you are by no means required to act out your tortuous sacrifice any more than you truly wish. The price for being doomed has been paid with your death. And in your case that price has been paid many times over.”

When she had waited a few minutes without a satisfactory response, Rose distracted herself by examining Derse’s interior in greater detail. She didn’t even hear Aradia get up and float over to her, so she was startled again when Aradia gave her response. 

“you cant even h0pe t0 understand what it feels like t0 be d00med

i mean l00k at me i was d00med s0 hard that even th0ugh i d0nt have t0 talk like this anymore i still d0

and i d0nt give a twitchbeasts ass ab0ut h0w w0nderfully sucessful y0ur gl0ri0us alpha timeline is”

Rose wanted to speak up, to say something more than just another apology. But how could Rose make excuses for the unfair nature of reality itself? How could Rose explain away the infinite deaths and immeasurable suffering that together made up the backbone of the alpha timeline? 

And if this was what it took to have an alpha timeline, was it really worth it anyway? 

And for that matter, what decided who got to be in the alpha timeline and who was simply doomed to destruction at best and an infinity of pain at worst? For a moment, Rose felt like a petulant child, railing against the unfairness of the world. 

“You are absolutely right Aradia, no measure of success in any timeline justifies what you were put through, let alone what all of your friends and mine suffered in the other doomed timelines. ”

Aradia was about to speak up but Rose kept on going.

“But I’m not the one in control here. I am simply playing with the hand that the insanity of the multiverse dealt me. I’d like to think that I am in some way responsible for the actions of all alternate Roses in some way, at least by nature of the fact that their actions are guided by experiences that I caused in the alpha before they split off. So if you wouldn’t mind terribly, could you tell me what this version of me did to cause all this?”

“l00k at y0u shifting blame 0n s0me 0ther r0se what perfectly a typical alpha attitude  
in any case it all started when y0u started c0nversing with d0c scratch

y0u were the 0ne that ensured his plan w0uld succeed”

Rose couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Of course she had helped Scratch, it was the only way to save her universe! Or so she had thought at the time.

“d0nt y0u get it r0se by making sure his plan w0rked y0u ensured a universe where Scratch c0uld exist l0cking us all int0 an alpha

y0u saved y0ur universe at the c0st 0f all 0f the rest 

s0 scratch was thus b0und t0 clean up every 0ther timeline 0ne way 0r an0ther 

in my timeline when jack came f0r me i was able to freeze him in time but when it came time t0 release him scratch appeared

he sh0t me r0se

right in the face” 

Suddenly Aradia’s face was completely missing, replaced by a crackling green hole that was streaming dark red blood, completely soaking her. Rose leapt back in horror. 

“but that wasnt a particularly just or her0ic death s0 scrach let him kill me again 

and again

and again

th0usands 0f times

i did n0thing but die f0r an entire sweep until he finally g0t b0red en0ugh t0 let me try t0 kill him

at which p0int he pr0mptly killed me again and by s0me c0smic j0ke that death was c0unted as heroic”

Aradia’s face prompted snapped back to normal, but Rose knew she would never forget the sight. Rose continued to watch Aradia’s face, which contorted into a mask of complete rage.  
“ s0 in c0nclusi0n r0se ive had a l0t 0f time between m0ments 0f perfect pain t0 think about the pers0n wh0 put me in this p0siti0n

and ive decided that a g00d start w0uld be killing y0u a c0uple th0usand times

el0ngated with my p0wers 0f c0urse 

y0ull experience s0 much time that y0ull f0rget everything 

when y0u get 0ut y0ur mind will be g0ne”

The subsequent laugh that erupted from Aradia’s mouth was harsh and terrifying, and contained just a twinge of metal, as if this Aradia had forgotten that she was no longer a robot. Suddenly Jack’s sword appeared in her hand, and she began walking slowly towards Rose, continuing to laugh uncontrollably. Just before she was in striking distance, Aradia whispered to Rose:

“ i hate y0u r0se i hate y0u i hate y0u i hate y0u i hate y0u

i hate y0u s0 much that theres n0 passi0n left in it r0se

my hate is s0 perfect its mechanical r0se

aut0matic even ”

Before Rose could even get out of the way, Aradia’s arm became cold metal and extended itself until it wrapped around Rose’s throat. With her other arm, Aradia brandished Jack’s sword and held it in front of Rose such that it was almost touching her nose. 

It was at that moment that Rose felt a fluctuation in the fabric of the dream bubble, and when she turned around, she saw another Aradia. This one lacked blank eyes, so Rose figured she must be the alpha Aradia who had taken up residence at the Green Sun. 

Both Rose and the dead Aradia turned when this Aradia spoke.

“hi there aradia and hello rose if you two dont mind id like to talk to rose alone for a minute and then ill be back to have a long talk with you aradia”

The dead Aradia continued to hold Rose tight, refusing to move a muscle or servo. With a noiseless flash, suddenly the other Aradia was between the two of them and effortlessly pushed them apart, ripping the dead Aradia’s arm in two in the process. Without allowing the dead Aradia a moment to recoup herself, the other Aradia extended both arms towards her and concentrated, enveloping her in a rotating sphere of frozen time. 

“there we are that should give us enough time to talk 

but lets go somewhere else just in case”

Rose felt a slight chill as her surroundings faded away and when she looked up again, she noticed that her and Aradia were now floating outside the Green Sun. 

“sorry about that rose some versions of me are much less agreeable than others!”

“Indeed they are, that particular version was rather unstable to say the least.”

“yes but what she was saying was no less important

you did a very terrible thing rose 

by inviting doc scratch into this universe you successfully attracted the attention of the most terrible demon to have ever existed

and more importantly youve doomed countless versions of us to death”

At this point Aradia lost her cheery demeanor, opting instead to look at the Green Sun. 

“but who am i to talk ive done more than my fair share of dooming timelines myself 

and i understand the temptation to make things right rose 

its so much easier to forge your own path isnt it 

to just do what you think has the best chance of saving your universe 

because at the time thats all that matters

the results

but now im paying the price for my foolhardiness im dealing with the consequences  
and that means finding every version of myself and rehabilitating her

it is not an easy job rose but it is my job

now i suggest you be on your way im not sure i can keep that particular aradia away if she sets her mind at really killing you instead of just humoring her romantic impulses”

Rose shuddered with the thought. 

“Very well Aradia, I see no reason to stay here any longer, as long as you find yourself in an adequate position to deal with her. For what it’s worth, I do regret what I did now. The temptation to power and knowledge was too great. I thought it was all a game that I could win, but now I realize that the ultimate mistake was choosing to play at all.”

Aradia smiled a bit and hugged Rose, the heat and sheer power of the Green Sun next to them somehow only making the embrace more comfortable and cozy. 

“i need you to promise me one thing rose

promise me youll see this damn thing to the end 

promise me that somehow youll make all this suffering mean something”

Rose looked into Aradia’s eyes and saw something unmistakably foreign, a glimmer of hope. 

“I promise.”


End file.
